Tea or coffee pot.



No. 678,692. Patented luly I6, l90.`

M 6. RUTH. TEA 0B SDH-'EE PUT. (Appummn meu Feb. 11, 1901.) (No Model.)2 Shania-Sheet 2.

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HENRY G. ROTH, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CLARKE. VYMAN, OF SAME PLACE.

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sraorsrcerroiv fol-ming para, er Letters Patent ive. 678,692, (tarea muy1 e, 1901.

Application filed February ll, 1901. Serial No. 46,761. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY G. ROTH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Minneapolis, inthe county of Hennepin and State ofMinnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tea orCoffee Pots; and I do hereby declare the followingto be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the Io art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

My present invention has for its especial object to improve theconstruction of teapots and coffee-pots; and to this end it consists ofthe novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described, anddefined in the claims.

Experience has shown that good coffeeor tea or certainly the best coffeeor tea cannot be made unless the coffee-grounds in the one case or thetea-leaves in the other be removed from the liquid very soon aftertheproper steeping has taken place.

The principal object of my invention is to provide -a tea or coffee potwith which it is impossible, or practically so, to pour the steepedliquid from the pot until after the grounds or leaves have been removedfrom or raised above the liquid and in which also it is impossible toreplace the grounds or leaves in the liquid after they have beenremoved.

My invention is illustrated in the accompa- Dying drawings, wherein likecharacters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a vertical section of a tea or coffee pot constructed inaccordance with my invention, said section being taken on the line as 0cof Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is ahorizontal section on the line :r2 of Fig. 1. Fig.3 is a section on the same line as Fig. 1, but illustrating differentpositions of the parts; and Fig. 4 is a detail showing in perspectiveone A '45 of the so-called lock-dogs and a portion of the so-calledcup-valve towhich it is pivoted.

The numeral 1 indicates the cylindrical or cup-like body of the pot, thesame having a 5o spout 2 and a handle 3, the latter of which may, ifdesired, be made to fold against the cup. On a line above the lower endof thespout 2 the body l is provided with an outwardly-bulged annularlock-channel 4, for a purpose which will presently appear.. The body lis provided with a lid 5, which, as shown, has a finger-piece G. Also,as shown, the outer end of the spout 2 is adapted to be closed by cap 7.Y

An imperforate cylinder S fits snugly within the body 1 of the pot. Atits lower end the cylinder 8 is provided with a reticulate head 9, asshown, formed of finely-wovenwire screen. At its upper end the saidcylinder S is shown as provided with a bail 10, by means of which itmaybe lifted. The cylinder 8 and its bottom 9 afford a cup into whichthe ground coffee or the tea-leaves are placed. vWhen the cylinder S isin working position, it closes off the passage into the spout 2, as bestshown in Fig. 1, and thus acts as a valve. Hence I term the parts 8 9the cup-valve. Also by reference to Fig. 1 it will be noted that thereticulate bottom 9 normally stands some little distance above thebottom of the body 1. This is important for the reason it holds thecoffee or the tea, as the case may be, out of direct contact with thebottom of the body 1, and thus prevents it from burning. Furthermore,this elevated support holds the coffee or the tea, so that the water hasa better chance to bubble up and to percolate through the same.

The body or outside cup of the pot is preferably also provided with asecond lock-channel 4a, which extends below the lower end of the spout2.

The cup-valve 8 9 is provided with one or more lock-dogs for coperationwith the lockchannels l and t of the pot-body 1, and, as shown, it isprovided with two such dogs, locatedatdiametricallyopposite points.These dogs are preferably constructed each of a crank-like piece of wire11, having depending ends 12 and 13. The crank portions of these dogs 11are pivoted in curled ear-sections 14, formed in the lower edge of thecylinder 8.

When the parts stand as indicated in Fig. 1, the dogs 11 engage thebottom of the pot-body IOO 1 and serve as supporting-feet for thesocalled cup-valve. The ends 13 of the dogs 11 are heavier than the ends12, so that when the cup-valve 8 9 is lifted into the position indicatedin Figf3 the ends 12 will be thrown by gravity into engagement with thelockchannel4 of the pot-body l, and thereby lock the said cup-valve inits raised position, with the bottom 9 thereof above the liquidcontained in the pot. The dogs once having engaged the lock-channel, asabove described, the cup-valve can be returned to the bottom of the potl only by turning the entire device upside down, so that the heavy endsof the dogs fall back onto the reticiilate bottom 9, in which positionthe ends 12 of said dogs will clear said lock-channels.

From the above description and statements made it is evident that thetea or coltee cannot be poured from the pot until after the cup-valvehas been raised and looked in its elevated position and that the groundsor tealeaves once having been removed from the liquid cannot be replacedtherein. Of course the cup-valve may be entirely removed from the pot atany time. Usually, however, it would be left standing for a short timein its elevated position, (shown in Fig. 3,) so as to let the grounds orthe leaves drain. The socalled lock-dogs therefore act to hold theso-called cup-valve in a draining position, as well as to prevent thesame from being forced back down into the liquid.

It is often desirable to adjust the perforate support or bottom of theso-called cup- Valve7 to different distances from the bottom of the bodyor outer cup 1. For instance, tea will be more satisfactorily treatedwhen the said support is raised about half-way up through the body ofthe liquid or water within the pot. This is accomplished when thecup-valve is raised far enough to permit the lock-dogs to engage withthe lower lock-channel 4a.

The device above described is capable of many modifications within thescope of my invention. The cylinder S of the cup-valve is advisably madeof iinperforate material throughout, and it is preferably formed of verythin metal, so that it will adapt itself to closely fit and tightlyclose the opening into the spout 2. The best form of the pot-body 1 isthat of a cylinder; but it might be angular in cross-section so far asthe broad idea of my invention is concerned. With the parts cylindrical,as shown, and with the annular lock groove or channel 4 in the body 1the telescopin g parts may be put together without erases bringing themto anyparticular rotary adjustment.

This device may be constructed at a very small cost, and I contemplatemaking a very cheap form of the same to be used as an original package"to contain tea, coffee, or similar commodities to be sold therewith andto be used for a short time, usually as long as the coffee or teacontained therein will last, and then to be thrown away. It will,however, also be made in much better and more expensive designs and besold as an independent article.

When the so-called cup-valve is elevated, as shown in Fig. 3, it may beused as a so-called minute7 coee-pot by pouring the hot water onto theground coffee held thereby.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is as follows:

l. The combination with acup-like potbody, having a lateral dischargeopening or spout, cfa cup-valve telescoping therewith, provided with aperforate bottom and serving as a valve to close said spout when in itsoperative position, and one or more gravityactuated locks serving tohold said inner cup in an inoperative or elevated position, andthemselves adapted to be thrown into inoperative positions when and onlywhen the device is turned upside down, substantially as described.

2. The combination with the body 1 having the spout 2, and lock-channel4, of the cupvalve 8, 9 telescoping into said body 1 and serving when inits operative or lowered p0'- sition to close said spout, and thegravityactuated lock-dogs pivoted to the bottom of said cup-valve,engageable with said lockchannel to hold said cup-valve in aninoperative position, which lock-dogs serve as supporting-feet when thesaid cup-valve-is lowered, substantially as described.

3. The combination with the body or outer cup l having the spout 2 andlock channels or grooves 4 and 4a, of the cup-valve 8, 9 with perforatebottom, and one or more gravity-actuated lock-dogs pivoted to the loweredge of said cup-valve, and coperating with said lock-channel 4 and 4u,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY G. ROTH.

Witnesses:

ANNE S. READ, F. D. MERCHANT.

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